


Compulsion

by Sue Corkill (mscorkill)



Series: Compulsion [2]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-14
Updated: 2012-04-14
Packaged: 2017-11-03 16:04:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/383324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mscorkill/pseuds/Sue%20Corkill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After slaving away in the Naqada mine on P3R-636, all Sam wants is a nice, hot bath.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Compulsion

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a nice, fluffy PWP...unfortunately, Sam and Jack had other ideas. As always, thanks to Wendy. For Linz. 
> 
> Originally posted August 2002.

COMPULSION

Ah, this was bliss, Sam thought contentedly, running the razor carefully up her shin. She was finally starting to feel clean, and with every swipe of the razor on her hair-covered legs, the oppression she still felt lingering over her from their imprisonment lessened. It was amazing what clean hair and a clean body could do for a person! Shuddering a bit as she tackled the overgrowth of hair under her arms, Sam finished with her shaving ritual, draining the few inches of water out of the tub and chasing the last of the light blonde hairs down the drain with a sponge. Once the tub was relatively hair free again, she closed the drain and turned the water back on after adding a generous amount of bubble bath. Now that she'd taken care of some of the 'necessities'-like shaving the forest under her arms and on her legs, she could indulge herself. Kneeling in the tub, she lit the myriad of candles around the wide ledge. Reaching for the light switch, she shut the overhead light out and settled back to wait while the tub filled with the steaming water.

She had been dreaming of this moment for the last three weeks during their internment on P3R-636. She couldn't think of a time when she'd ever been so filthy. Of course, they'd all been filthy, except for Daniel. She grimaced, pushing thoughts of Daniel out of her mind. She knew she'd have to deal with her feelings for him and his actions sooner or later, but not right now, she decided firmly. All she wanted to do right now was soak—for days in her big, beautiful bathtub and finally rid herself of the ground-in dirt and grime of the naqada mine.

Once she had hot water and bubbles up to her shoulders, Sam shut off the taps, mentally thanking whomever had come up with the ingenious idea of putting the faucet and handles on the side of the tub. It had to have been a woman, she decided, as she adjusted her neck roll and closed her eyes, sinking up to her chin in the steamy scented water. Oh, it felt so wonderful. She was warm, she was clean, her stomach was pleasantly full and she had access to more water than she'd ever know what to do with! Opening her eyes, she reached for the glass of white wine perched amidst the grove of candles and took a sip of the mellow Chardonnay. It was almost perfect; only one other thing was needed to make it perfect, but she had no idea if her lover would visit her tonight. She took another sip of the wine. Never in her whole life would she have imagined that she would get involved with a man who was so wrong for her! For starters, never mind the obvious fact that he was her commanding officer, which should have been more than enough to stop her. Never mind that they were practically total opposites in their thinking; she a scientist, he hard-core military. The Air Force had been her way to accomplish her goals and get into NASA. She still didn't know what motivated Jack. All she did know is that when he looked at her, smiled at her, touched her, she melted and would do anything for him. Even to the point of letting him set the parameters of their relationship. She had already acknowledged that she loved him, and while she knew he found pleasure in having sex with her, his feelings for her were still a mystery. Maybe she was just convenient, she mused, and maybe he had a habit of screwing women under his command, all of which didn't explain the need and desperation she sensed in him whenever they made love. Jack O'Neill certainly wasn't a convenient man to love and she had already decided she could be patient.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shit, he was weary and sick of all the crap that had gone on—and was still going on if Daniel's attitude was anything to go by! He'd finally had to leave the base—and Daniel—to Fraiser's tender mercies. He still wasn't sure enough of his temper as far as Daniel was concerned, better to give them both twenty-four hours to calm down. Besides, he still felt dirty and grimy, even after a shower on base. God, all he wanted to do was soak in a tub full of hot water and ease the aches in his muscles and his soul. Granted, he'd suffered worse imprisonments, he acknowledged dourly. This one had just seemed worse since help had actually been so close—yet so unattainable—and he had a team that had been depending on him to take care of them. Maybe Daniel really had been trying to help them, which really didn't matter anymore anyway, Jack acknowledged wearily, they were finally home.

Jack fit his key into the lock, unsure as to what had driven him to Sam's house instead of his own. Sure, she had given him a key and he told himself he actually preferred keeping their 'relationship' at her house. It meant he didn't have to think about it or see any evidence of her presence at his house. He could keep it separate, locked away in one corner of his life. He liked his life neat and tidy, which did nothing to stop the niggling voice that asked him if that was the case, why had he gotten involved with someone under his command, something that had the power to be infinitely messy? Not understanding his compulsion, yet grudgingly acknowledging its presence, Jack let himself in with his shiny new key. Kicking his shoes off by the door, he wandered down the hall towards the kitchen. Knowing Sam had started keeping his favorite brand of beer on hand; he opened the fridge, smiling slightly when he saw the open bottle of wine and wineglass sitting next to it. Maybe it wasn't so bad having someone to come home to, he decided. All he wanted was to forget the past few weeks and the sweet oblivion to be found in a lover's embrace was certainly one way to achieve that!

Grabbing the bottle and glass, he walked with a bit more energy than he had felt earlier down the hall to her bedroom. Taking the few steps needed to reach the bathroom, Jack slowly pushed the door open and stared appreciatively at the sight before him. Sam was leaning back in the tub, idly running a hot pink bath scrubby up and down one arm. He was only mildly surprised at the feeling of relief that filled him when he saw that she was starting to look relaxed; her cheeks nicely flushed from the warm room, though there were still dark shadows under her eyes. The last few weeks had been rough on all three of them, and he'd had to forcibly suppress the concern he felt for her. He had found himself wanting to protect her, but had been too worried that that any sign of preferential treatment would have been seen by their guards and used against them. He'd had to guard himself against letting his concern show, though she probably would have been more surprised if he had, since she had made it clear from the beginning that she expected to carry her own weight as a member of his team. Their experience, however, had been nothing new to him or Teal'c, but it had been her first at long-term imprisonment and it was bound to have its toll. She looked better though, than when he'd last seen her on base. Her beautiful blonde hair was glistening and shining, no longer hidden under layers of dust, the short strands starting to curl while it dried. She looked up then, her face breaking into a wide smile when she saw him.

"Jack!" she exclaimed excitedly, then turned suddenly shy. "I was hoping you'd come." She looked eager and hopeful and Jack knew her comment spoke volumes about their relationship--and how little she expected from him.

Stepping further into the room, he set the wine bottle and glass down on the tub's wide ledge, giving Sam a quick kiss. "You didn't use up all the hot water, did you?" he teased, ignoring the tell-tale tightening in his gut when she smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling with love.

"Hmm," she drawled, her eyes twinkling, "that is a distinct possibility. I guess we'll just have to share."

He smiled faintly in return and started unbuttoning his shirt. Sam settled back into the water again and smirked at him. Tossing the shirt in the general direction of the laundry hamper, he merely shrugged his shoulders at her raised eyebrow when it missed and landed on the floor. Unfastening his trousers, the rest of his clothing soon joined his shirt on the floor by the hamper. Jack put a cautious foot in the tub, testing the temperature. Ah, perfect...he stepped into the tub, his legs tangling with Sam's as he sat down opposite her. Leaning back he sank down into the bubble filled water until he was up to his shoulders. "Pour me a glass of wine, will ya' babe?"

She gave him a speaking look, to which he just looked innocent and she smiled, pouring him a glass. "Thanks," he told her, taking a big swallow of the smooth Chardonnay. "Ah," he sighed, deciding to just relax. "This is great, Sam. Just what the doctor ordered."

She chuckled, "I liked her prescription this time: a hot bath, a good meal and sleep!"

"Yeah, we're fortunate we came out of this as good as we did," he frowned, it was certainly no thanks to him that they were out of the mines. He shifted; wincing a bit as his knee reminded him of the recent abuses it had suffered.

"What did Fraiser say about your knee?"

"Oh, just the usual, exercise, exercise and more exercise." He took another swallow of the wine and held out his glass to her for more.

"What about Daniel?" she asked quietly while she poured.

"She thinks he'll be okay, but she's keeping him on base for the next few days just to be sure."

"I guess we're lucky she let us leave the base."

"Yeah, lucky," he murmured, setting the wineglass down and closing his eyes, he leaned his head back against the side of the tub. The hot water felt heavenly to his weary muscles and his aching knee. Being in Sam's loving presence was also starting to soothe his soul, though beneath the pleasure a small seed of annoyance lurked. He sensed movement from Sam and felt the water lap at his chin, and then her firm touch on his right foot as she brought his foot onto her lap. He groaned appreciatively as she started scrubbing his foot, running the soapy scrubby up his leg to his knee. When he felt her hand tugging on his other foot, he placed it in her lap as well.

"Hand me the nail clippers, will you Jack?"

Opening his eyes, he looked around and spied them half hidden behind one of the candles. "Here," he said, handing her the clippers.

"Is the pumice stone there?"

Grabbing the requested object, he passed it to her along with the nailbrush.

She flashed a brilliant smile at him, "Thanks."

Not one to indulge in pampering, Jack never the less felt pampered and just a little self conscious as Sam proceeded to scrub his feet with the nail brush, smooth his calluses with the pumice stone, then clip his toe nails. In spite of the fact that they were having sex, her action in performing this personal task seemed to be taking their relationship to a much more intimate level. And, he wasn't sure how he felt about that. He couldn't help the small groan of pleasure though, when she started massaging his foot; her strong, capable fingers firmly kneading and massaging each toe. He looked at her face, her expression was intent as she applied herself to her task. He'd seen that look before, whenever she was concentrating her total attention on something and it pleased him more than he liked that she was concentrating all that energy on him. It was certainly one thing to have sex with her; but to let her actually care for him? Well, that was another thing altogether and it touched something deep inside him that he thought he had carefully walled off. The last weeks had all but forcibly shown him that he was getting in too deep and that she was finding her way into his heart.

Oh, he knew she loved him, she made no secret of that fact when they were alone and he was buried deep inside her. He also knew it was the only reason she would have gotten involved with him at all. She had too much integrity to just indulge in a casual fling with someone so totally off-limits. Right, Jack, she loves you and you're only using her, his conscience reminded him. You seduced her and you're using her to fill that empty place inside you that's been gnawing away at your soul--and you have the gall to resent her for that? And she doesn't ask for anything in return, does she? She welcomed you into her home and bed, giving everything to you and expecting nothing back. Besides which, the voice added nastily, you couldn't even take care of her when she really needed you, could you? Back there on the planet, in the mines...just like you you've never been able to take care of anybody you care about.

She released his other foot and reached for his hand then, rousing him from his grim thoughts. "Let me see your fingernails."

"Dammit, Sam!" He roughly pulled his hand away, scrubbing his hand over his face. "I don't need you to take care of me!"

She looked startled at his sudden change in mood, and then her expression grew carefully neutral. "Jack..."

It was suddenly too much, his guilt and ambivalence over their relationship overwhelming his primal need to be with her. He quickly got to his feet, sending water sloshing over the sides of the tub, grabbing the closest towel and wrapping it around his hips. He picked up his discarded clothing and ignored her, tossing a careless, "Goodnight," back over his shoulder as he left the room.

*************************

What the hell just happened? Sam was momentarily shocked; staring at Jack's naked back as he stalked out of the bathroom. Damn it, she would put up with a lot from him, but not this! He just couldn't expect to come into home and treat her like she was just a convenience item, there for his use when he wanted. Maybe she'd been too undemanding...well, that was all about to change!

Jumping up out of the tub, Sam quickly pulled her robe on and rushed out after Jack, leaving a trail of water droplets in her wake. She found him walking down the hall, pulling his shirt on. "Jack!" she called after him, she knew he had to have heard her, but he just kept on walking. She ran down after him and grabbed his arm, pulling him to a stop in the small foyer. She held tightly to his arm, ignoring the angry flash of his eyes. "What the hell was that about?" she demanded.

"Nothing that concerns you."

"Nothing that concerns me?" she looked at him incredulously. "You think you can just waltz in and out of my house, my bath, my damn life whenever the hell it suits you?"

"I've never made you any promises, Sam."

"No, you haven't," she agreed, trying to get her anger under control. "And I haven't ever asked you for any. Maybe that's the problem."

"You're in no position to make any demands of me, Captain."

She felt her anger race out of her and her heart sink at his use of her rank. "I don't want to make demands, Jack." God, she was pleading, but she couldn't help it. "This isn't about demands, this is about sharing what we have."

"You don't get it, do you, Sam? I have nothing to share with you." His eyes and voice were alarmingly cold.

"I don't believe you," she whispered, suddenly frightened by the bleak brown eyes staring at her.

"Well, you'd better start believing it, because it's the truth." He shrugged her arm off then and she let him, watching in mute disbelief and pain as he turned away. The door slammed behind him and Sam slowly sank down onto the floor, too stunned to do anything but hold her knees tightly and listen to the voice in her head asking her how could she have misjudged him so?

*****************************************************************************

Sam sat in the dark in her lab, the only light that from the screen of her laptop. She picked up a piece of naqada from the box on the counter, turning it over and over in his fingers. She wondered if this was one that she had mined herself? Dropping it back onto the counter, she sighed, Daniel's words once more burning in her ears. "You've never really known love." Hell, she was almost inclined to believe him, given the recent comments by her lover...or was that former lover? She laughed bitterly, god, how had she ever let herself get into this mess? Because she loved him, in spite of everything he had said and done, she loved him. Daniel didn't know what the hell he was talking about if he thought what Shyla had felt for him was love. Shyla had just been using Daniel...just like Jack had been using her? She quickly squashed the unbidden thought. Jack hadn't taken anything from her that she hadn't been more than willing to give...and god help her, was still willing to give him. The problem seemed to be that he didn't want her love or what came attached to it—vulnerability.

"Captain Carter?" Teal'c stood silhouetted in the doorway. "Are you there?"

She switched on the desk lamp. "What is it Teal'c?"

"Daniel Jackson has taken a turn for the worse. Doctor Fraiser has had no choice but to restrain him."

"Withdrawal from the sarcophagus?" she questioned anxiously, getting to her feet.

"So it would seem."

"Can I go see him?"

"No, Doctor Fraiser believes it would be inadvisable at this time. O'Neill requested that I tell you."

"He asked you to tell me?" The accusing words were out before she realized it. He should have told her himself...after all they'd been through together.

"All is not well between you and O'Neill." It was a statement, not a question she realized.

"No, Teal'c, it isn't." She sat back down, running her hand through her hair, wondering how in the world Teal'c had picked up on that. The man saw way too much, she decided ruefully. "It's...complicated," she added, feeling compelled to add some explanation though Teal'c hadn't asked for one.

"O'Neill is a man who feels things deeply."

"Yeah," she muttered, "so deep that you can't even see them."

Teal'c walked further into the room, standing across the table from her, his expression as enigmatic as ever. "He carries great guilt for not protecting you better."

She looked curiously at Teal'c, ignoring the flutter of hope in her heart. "Don't you mean for his team?"

He inclined his head towards her, "I believe my statement to be accurate."

She shook her head. "I don't think so, Teal'c. The Colonel has no greater concern for me than he has for you or Daniel."

"You are mistaken, Captain Carter. O'Neill..." whatever Teal'c had been about to say was suddenly cut off by the sound of the klaxons blaring. Sam was suddenly filled with alarm when the expected 'Unscheduled Incoming Traveler' announcement didn't automatically follow. Teal'c immediately headed out the door, Sam following quickly on his heels.

************************************************************************

Jack sat in the truck, the key in his hand practically burning his palm. It was late, well after midnight; he looked at her dark house, wondering what kind of greeting he'd get if he used it and went inside. He thought of Daniel, sedated again back at the SGC's infirmary and the circumstances surrounding his breakdown. Shit, if he was honest, he'd have to admit that the only reason he could open up locked up places inside him to help Daniel was because of what he had with Sam. So, why the hell couldn't he do the same thing with Sam? He snorted derisively, fuck, that was easy--because Daniel wasn't Sam—and because helping Daniel wasn't the same as leaving himself open to the vulnerability that came with loving someone. He felt the key sear into his flesh...did he love Sam? He could admit that he cared deeply for her...but love? Shit, he knew it went deeper than just caring, but that was one truth he was barely ready to reveal to himself, much less his lover. He hadn't started out wanting anything more than some mutual comfort and affection from someone that understood and could share in the constraints in his chosen life. He hadn't sought or even desired anything more, but it had happened anyway, and he was too much of a realist to ignore what he knew to be true. So...here was, standing outside her door in the middle of the night, desperately hoping that he hadn't destroyed what she felt for him with his earlier carelessness.

Letting himself into the house, Jack walked down the dark hallway to the bedroom. The bedroom door was slightly ajar and he opened it, slipping silently inside. In the dim light he could just make out her sleeping form under the covers. Shedding his clothing, he slipped into bed with her, turning onto his side and snuggling up against her back. She stirred slightly but didn't waken, and he placed a cautious arm around her, pulling her close. She sighed, her body automatically conforming to his and he didn't fight the satisfaction that coursed through him. All right, so she was asleep and when she woke, it might be a totally different story, but at least on some subconscious level she still accepted him. Jack buried his face in her nape, nuzzling her hair with his nose. She smelled so good and it felt so right to hold her in his arms. He had missed this more than he realized. How had he ever walked out on her two days ago? Shit, that was easy, because he was an idiot with an incredible talent for fucking up his life.

**************************

Sam woke slowly, enjoying the warmth and comfort of Jack's body around her. She had no idea when he'd come to her bed, she only knew that she'd woken sometime during the night and he'd been there. Fool that she was, she hadn't done what she probably should have—which was kick him out. No, she'd merely smiled at the arrogance of the man for assuming that he was still welcome and decided that she'd deal with it in the morning. Shifting, Sam rolled to her back and did a limited stretch. As she expected, Jack woke almost instantly. She continued with her movement and ended up facing him, their faces close together on the pillow, their bodies not quite touching.

"Good morning," she murmured.

"Good morning," he rumbled in reply, the dark brown eyes staring back at her decidedly cautious. He looked like he wanted to say something, but wouldn't--or couldn't, she finally decided.

"I've missed you," she told him softly, trying to give him an opening.

He reached out and tenderly caressed her cheek before letting his hand come to rest on her hip. "Me too."

She could feel the disappointment start to build within her when he didn't say anything more. If she didn't press the issue, she knew they'd go right back to what their relationship had been before--and after what had happened the other night in her bathtub, she knew she could never go back. But part of her was scared that if she did press him, he'd walk out and never come back. Still not sure if it was the right thing to do, her eyes searched his intently as she asked quietly, "What are you doing here, Jack?"

His hand tightened momentarily on her hip, and then he slid it to her waist in a soft caress. "I thought it was obvious?" he tossed out lightly.

"Not to me."

She was amazed by the conflicting expressions that chased across his face before he groaned and rolled to his back. He rubbed his eyes with both his hands, then rubbed his forehead like he had a headache. "You're going to make me say it, aren't you?" he asked, keeping his eyes closed.

Sam felt her heart sink. She pulled away from him and sat up, wrapping her arms around her drawn up knees. "I'm not going to make you say anything, Jack." She glanced down at him; he was looking up at her with hooded eyes. "This isn't about power or control, this is about you and me...and whether what we have is worth taking risks for. I think it is." She chuckled wryly, "But then, I've never been able to hide my feelings from you." She sighed, hugging her knees tighter. "It's always been painfully obvious that I'm in love with you."

He was quiet for the longest time and when he finally spoke, his words came out slowly and she felt a chill start deep in her heart. "I never wanted a serious relationship Sam, especially one with someone under my command." He snorted derisively, "God! Talk about fucking things up royally! But, I couldn't help myself and I couldn't stay away. I thought that if I kept you separate from everything else in my life I could have you and pretend that nothing had really changed." She looked at him, but his expression still gave nothing away. "And I thought that if it was just sex, there wouldn't be any of this messy 'relationship' stuff."

Sam couldn't hide the hurt she felt at his words. "I'm sorry, sir," she said a bit stiffly, "that I've involved you in a 'messy relationship'." She saw his wince when she called him 'sir' and felt a momentary flash of pleasure, which quickly vanished with his next words.

"I said that's what I thought, Sam." He reached out and rested his hand on her knee, his touch light and almost tentative. "I've changed my mind."

"So, what brought about this change?" she asked, skepticism and hope warring for dominance in her voice.

"The last three weeks on P3R-636 when I watched you getting weaker and weaker, and was helpless to do anything to help you. When I promised Daniel that I would help him through his withdrawal." His hand tightened on her knee. "When I saw the hurt in your eyes after I told you I had nothing to share with you and realized I was lying--to myself and to you." He paused, his voice trailing off, his hand dropping once more to his side.

Sam remembered his earlier words, 'You're going to make me say it, aren't you?'. In a flash of understanding, she recognized that she had walked in to this relationship with her eyes wide open and had no one to blame but herself if she was disappointed in what Jack had to give her. And, she had been serious when she'd told him it wasn't about control or who had the power, which was something she'd better be able to back up now with her conduct. Besides, hadn't his actions already told her what she needed to know? Coming unannounced to her bed after the way they'd parted was, in her mind, the action of a desperate man and that was enough for now.

She turned then and knelt next to him, placing her right hand on his chest, over his heart. "I love you, Jack." She smiled, her eyes brimming with love. "It that makes things messy, well then I guess that's the way it's going to be."

*************************

Jack felt the vise clamped around his heart loosen and let go the minute Sam looked at him, her eyes tender and sparkling with love. This time he didn't fight the relief that flooded through him, instead he savored the bone deep satisfaction he felt at hearing her words. He didn't know what he'd done to deserve this woman or her forgiveness, but he wasn't going to waste any more time thinking when he could be doing. He copied her gesture, placing his right hand over the swell of her left breast, his other hand coming to rest on the thigh closest to him. "Sam," he murmured, his voice rough with emotion.

"Shh..." she whispered, moving her hand from his chest to press two fingers to his lips. "You don't have to say anything."

He angled his head eagerly towards her as she lowered her face towards him, his hand gliding from her breast, up her throat and to her nape, cupping her head as their lips met. The first brush of her lips against his was light, almost tentative. Jack thought he understood her reserve and gently kissed her back, simply enjoying the taste of her on his lips again. Delicately caressing her nape, he slid his fingers through her short hair, shuddering with fierce arousal when her teeth closed over his lower lip and tugged gently. He immediately opened his mouth for her, content for now to let her take the lead while her tongue slithered past his teeth. The hand braced on his chest was restlessly kneading the firm flesh there, and it was nice, and pleasant, and not enough!

Wrapping his arms around her, Jack quickly rolled them so that Sam lay beneath him. Straddling her hips he sat up and gazed down possessively at her, a part of him still marveling at her with her look of unconditional love and the easy forgiveness she had bestowed on him. Her luscious red lips curved into a sultry smile then, her nails raking gently down his hair-roughened thigh, and he decided there'd be plenty of time to be thankful later. Grabbing the hem of her soft cotton sleep T, he started tugging at it, pulling it up over her torso and head and flinging it aside. She hadn't worn panties to bed and now that he had her naked, he sat back on her thighs, taking a moment to just enjoy looking at her. She'd lost weight, hell, they all had while slaving in the mines; her belly seemed flatter and her ribs were more pronounced, though her breasts were still as lovely—and as inviting—as ever.

"Jack?" Her tentative question roused him out of his reverie and he smiled down at her, reaching out and lightly tracing his fingers down her throat, trailing delicately along one collarbone. She moaned softly and thrust her breasts up towards him and his eyes narrowed, his smile growing tighter. The one thing that had enthralled him right from the start of their sexual relationship was her totally uninhibited response to him. It was like she had been made for him alone, and it turned him on like nothing ever had before.

"Easy, baby," he murmured. Using both hands now, he traced tender patterns along her rib cage and the swell of her breasts. Her breathing grew shallower the closer and closer his clever fingers drew to the rosy peaks, which were already tightening with just his teasing touches. His smile faded and his face grew intent as he finally slid his fingers to her nipples. He tugged gently at the taut flesh and she gasped, her nails digging into his thigh, while he carefully caressed them.

Lowering his head to her breast, he smiled against her pale flesh, taking a nipple into his mouth when he heard her softly sigh, "Oh, Jack...." Her voice trailed off on a soft moan as he hungrily sucked the turgid peak deeper into his hot mouth. The hand on his thigh traveled slowly up his back to his head, her fingers moving restlessly through his short hair as he suckled leisurely at her breast. He dimly felt her other hand clutching restlessly at his T-shirt and he pulled away just long enough to strip it off over his head before returning to this task, this time fastening his mouth on her other nipple. Teasing the tight peak with his tongue, he moaned against her flesh when her nails raked down his back. He tugged gently on the tip with his teeth before releasing it and sat back up, surveying the results of his handiwork. God, she never looked more gorgeous than when he was making love to her, he decided arrogantly. Her brilliant blue eyes were glazed with passion, her cheeks nicely flushed, her tight nipples wet and rosy, all because of him.

"Jack, please," she gasped and he reached out a less-than-steady hand to caress her cheek. Of course, she affected him the same way as well, he acknowledged wryly.

"What, babe?" he murmured, rising to his knees and quickly shucking off his boxers. Nudging her legs apart, he once more covered her body with his.

She groaned and wriggled nicely as he settled his weight on her, her knees flexing deeply as she made room for him. "It's not fair, what you do to me," she complained breathlessly, her hands gripping his forearms as he braced himself over her.

Leaning down he gave her a hard, possessive kiss; rubbing his hair roughened chest back and forth enticingly against her breasts. Nestling deeper into the cradle of her thighs, he pulled back slightly and ran his thumb across her kiss-swollen lips. "It goes both ways," he growled.

Her lips curved into an incandescent smile and she whispered gently, "Yes, it does, doesn't it?"

She knew, he realized with unexpected insight. Somehow she knew he loved her, even though he could barely admit it to himself, much less say it aloud. "Sam..." he murmured cautiously.

"It's okay," she interrupted, her hands moving caressingly down from his shoulders, along his rib cage to his hips. "You don't have to say anything." Her smile was indulgent and her eyes glowed with understanding and love.

Shit, she deserved so much more than what he could give her! He swallowed and tried again. "Sam..." her name ended in a stifled groan however, when those clever hands of hers skimmed down to his ass, pulling him tight against her while she ground her pelvis against him.

"Shut up, Jack," she ordered. "There'll be time for words later."

He bit off a low groan as she once more rotated her hips, the pressure of her firm belly pushing against his penis bringing him to the limits of his will power. "Whatever you say, Sam," he rumbled from deep in his chest before capturing her lips in a deeply erotic kiss, their lips and teeth mashing together as he slid his tongue into her mouth. Gliding a sure hand down her side to her hip and along her thigh, he curled it under her knee, coaxing her legs up further. She obliged, angling her pelvis at his urging, his penis already nudging eagerly through her slick folds.

Easing his mouth away from hers, Jack pulled back just enough to see her face while he probed her soft flesh with one deft hand, finding her wet and supple. Threading the fingers of his other hand through her hair, he held her eyes as he guided his rigid penis to her tender opening. Sam's expression was one of intense delight as he slowly forged his way in, her snug channel almost reluctantly allowing him entrance. Her eyelids fluttered shut and she moaned, the ragged sound tearing at his now almost non-existent self-control. It seemed like an eternity since he had last made love to her; the endless weeks in the mines when all he had wanted to protect her, shield her, love her tumbling in on him at this moment when they were joined in the most intimate way possible. Endless moments later he was seated fully in her soft depths and for the first time since their return from P3R-636 Jack knew he was home. Moving slowly at first, Jack established an easy rhythm that soon had his lover gasping for breath with each inward thrust. His own breathing wasn't any steadier, as his body demanded he increase the speed and power of his movements.

"Oh, love," she moaned; her soft cry made more intense by the deep emotion he could hear behind it. He shuddered, from anyone else that would have been an almost casual endearment, but not from Sam. Whether he deserved it or not, she loved him. Wrapping his arms tightly around her, he groaned, burying his face in the hollow of her throat while he increased the intensity of his movements. Ever attuned to his lover's needs, Jack moved purposefully, building the sensation for both of them. Feeling the sudden rigidity in her muscles that signaled the approach of her orgasm, Jack thrust deep, grinding his pelvis against hers. He was rewarded by her sudden gasp of pleasure, her arms and legs tightening around him as ecstasy raced through her and she convulsed in his arms.

Jack held himself still, deep inside her, grimly determined to ride out her orgasm, though the insistent contractions of her internal muscles around his rigid length was almost more than he could bear! When he felt her start to relax and heard her soft sigh of contentment, he once more let his passion rule and began driving for his own climax. He rode her hard and she took everything he had to give, her caressing hands and softly murmured endearments urging him on. With a harsh cry he suddenly thrust deep, his orgasm spiraling through him until all he knew was the rapture found within his lover's body; her softly voiced "I love you," echoing in his ears.

********************************************************************************

Holding her lover securely, Sam enjoyed the simple pleasure of being close to him—something that she had missed during their imprisonment. Relaxing her legs from around his hips, Sam shifted slightly when he collapsed against her, nestling further into her embrace, as was his custom. This was also something she enjoyed, the rare moments when Jack was totally relaxed and all hers. The last remnants of her orgasm had been still rippling through her when Jack found his release and she savored the incredibly intimate sensation, his seed a hot wash deep inside of her. It was in these quiet moments that she knew she meant more to him than he would ever admit. Stroking his sweat-dampened hair, she decided it really didn't matter after all if he never said the words. She had her cake; she could forego the icing!

Sam continued to leisurely stroke and caress Jack's hair, shoulders, back—anywhere she could reach with her hands. She wondered idly what time it was, and then decided she really didn't want to know yet. Reality would intrude soon enough. Jack moaned and she felt his muscles tense and she sighed to herself, letting her arms fall from around him as he carefully rolled off of her and onto his back, laying by her side. She immediately turned onto her side, curling up next to him with her head on his chest, her hand tracing light patterns on his chest.

He sighed heavily, his chest moving up and down beneath her cheek. "I need to go into the base, see how Daniel is doing."

"He'll be okay, won't he?" Sam asked, starting to feel just the smallest bit guilty about the less than charitable thoughts she'd had regarding Daniel's actions on Shyla's planet.

"Fraiser says he should recover completely, at least, she hopes he will."

"Right," Sam sighed, "it's not like anyone has a lot of experience with sarcophagus withdrawal." Sam raised herself up on one elbow then and looked down at Jack. His expression was serious, but some of the fatigue seemed to have left his face. She tenderly caressed his cheek. "He'll need his friends."

"I know," he murmured. If anything, his eyes became more solemn as she gazed down at him. "Sam, you know I'm not very good with words."

She smiled reassuringly, her hand tenderly stroking his face; she had a pretty good idea where this was heading. "I know. It's okay, Jack."

He grimaced and her hand faltered slightly. "It's not okay," he told her, his voice rough. "I've been a selfish bastard." He reached up and grasped her hand, holding it to his heart. "I love you."

She felt her heart swell with his words. Silly man, she thought lovingly. "I know," she whispered.

He smiled then. "I knew that," he told her, his expression smug. "But," his deep brown eyes once more turning somber, "I still needed to tell you." He paused for a moment and Sam wondered what else was on his mind. "Last night, when Daniel freaked out, I saw myself for a minute."

"Jack..." she interrupted, her eyes troubled.

"No, no...nothing like that, Sam. Let's just say I have some firsthand experience with people who are going through withdrawal."

She nodded in understanding. His hand tightened on hers as he continued. "And when I told him I would help him get through his withdrawal, well...." he paused, looking a bit chagrined. "Let's just say I'm not known for my sensitivity. Suffice it to say, that I never would have been able to help Daniel if it wasn't for you...and what we have together."

"Jack," she started to protest.

"No, Sam, it's true." He gave her a piercing look. "You know it and I know it."

She shook her head; "It was always there inside you."

He snorted. "Yeah, well maybe...but the only reason it was there when I needed it was because of you." He released her hand and caressed her cheek; Sam turned her face into the tender caress. "And because of what we have together."

Holding his hand to her face with one of her own, she turned her head and kissed his palm. She released his hand then and smiled down on him. "So...we'll just have to make sure we stay together?" His eyes darkened and she realized somewhat anxiously that her last comment had been more a question than a statement. Jack had already given her more than she ever expected in the way of words and the last thing she wanted was to force him into another confession.

But, to her relief it didn't seem to bother Jack as he replied with characteristic nonchalance, "For as long as you'll have me, babe."

She smiled slowly, her eyes sparkling with love. Lowering her mouth to his, their lips just brushing while she drawled, "Well then, I guess we're looking at the rest of our lives."

THE END


End file.
